STANFORD, Calif. – Redshirt junior goalkeeper Andrew Epstein was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team for the second consecutive season, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) it was announced Thursday. Epstein now advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected early next month.
The Academic All-District Men's Soccer Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. The teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada with District 8 encompassing Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawai'i, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Canada.
An electrical engineering major with a 3.76 GPA, Epstein is in the conversation with some of Stanford's all-time best goalkeepers. His 19 career solo shutouts are third in school history and his career goals against average (0.74) would be second only to Adam Zapala's 0.63 from 1997-2000. His 152 career saves are eighth in the Cardinal record books and his 5,360:36 minutes in goal are already fourth all-time. Epstein owns a career record of 40-7-10 (.789) and is tied for 10th among active players in solo shutouts. His 0.751 goals against average this season is currently 30th in the country.
Last season Epstein was a CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American and NSCAA Scholar All-West Region honoree. He was named to the College Cup All-Tournament Team and voted to the NSCAA All-Far West Region second team in addition to earning a spot on the All-Pac-12 second team.
Epstein won his second career Pac-12 Player of the Week nod earlier this season on Oct. 11 following a pair of road shutouts at No. 16 Washington and Oregon State.
No. 9 Stanford (9-2-4, 6-0-1 Pac-12) closes out its regular-season home schedule with a chance to clinch its third consecutive Pac-12 title when it hosts Oregon State (4-6-3, 0-3-2 Pac-12) at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27 and No. 16 Washington (10-4-0, 3-2-0 Pac-12) at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.
With 19 points and a 6-0-1 record, the Cardinal begins its homestand eight points clear of second-place San Diego State and 10 ahead of third-place Washington, which has two games in hand on the rest of the league. A Stanford win coupled with a Washington loss at Cal would clinch the Cardinal's third consecutive Pac-12 championship. The Huskies and Bears play at 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon in Berkeley. Two Stanford wins in its last three games would also do the trick, regardless of what happens elsewhere in the league.